🏢 Commercial-to-Residential Rush

Sunday 5th May 2024

Class MA Expansion – PDR Unleashes North London Office Conversions

The expansion of the Permitted Development Right (PDR) Class MA, which came into force on March 5, 2024, removed the floorspace limit for converting commercial (Use Class E) buildings into residential units. This caused a surge in applications across North London, especially in areas with vacant offices like Islington and Enfield.

For our smaller RMI team, this created new opportunities to refurbish and convert smaller commercial sites. However, we also have significant concerns. The PDR route bypasses key planning requirements that ensure quality of light and space. The resulting units, particularly in older, deep-plan office blocks, often have worse quality residential environments (poor light, noise issues) than those built through full planning. While it delivers homes fast, quality must not be compromised in the rush to hit housing targets.

Robbins Construction Ltd Opinion: Speed must not sacrifice quality. We call for PDR schemes to be subject to rigorous external quality assurance checks, especially concerning minimum space standards and natural light provision, to ensure these conversions are future-proofed and don't create the next generation of substandard housing.